Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-12

Secretary Lamar's active and aggressive insu-
bordination must chafe the naughty spirit OF Gen.
SPARKS, despotic ruler OF the boundless West The
rash Lamar deliberately exposes himself TO the
common fate Of those who erect themselves
against the land ONCE autocraI Does he dare TO
risk being branded as land thief, and being con-
signed In that disgracefm capacity 10 perdition
by General sparks? The Secretary should re-
member, too, that In venturing 10 make
the General angry, he may ruin not only himself,
but the President, BY making it necessary for
sparks 10 put his foot upon the present admins
tration, as tending towards land thevery, ana 10
run the government alJne. The fate Of this au-
dacious and sarcastic letter writer, LAMAR viii be
watched with interest. There are many, unless
their nerve fails them, who will join a war
Of secession from allegiance 20 the despotic sparks.
In the south, Mr.. Lamar Is strong The mighty
West Will rise In a body 10 hight ror dehverance
from the oppressor. The democratic party also
tends strongly 10 reOel against sparks Adopting
a revenue reform policy as the winning issue or
the future IL sees In the free trade northwest
promising field for missionary effort But the
sparks policy OF denouneing in advance OF Investi-
lion ninety per cent Of the settlers land thieves
and OF unsettllng Titles, lowering values
and prosecuting boao fde settlers by absurd tech
nicaiities under cover OF q prolonged howl about
monopoes and land frauds Is making democratic
administration hateful there. There are vast
land frauds and systematic l1nQ ROBBERS and they
must be detected and punished, but not every
Northwestern settler Is prinla facie a land thief
10 be Juggled out OF his quarter section by the
Government through hostile changes In the ac-
cepted construction OF the law. Innumerable
cases Of Individual hardship have resulted in the
West from the rule OF sparks, who has bullied
alike settlers, Congressman and his superfors In
the Interior Department II the south, West, and
the interests OF the democratic party can out
weigh sparks and send him flying through the air
from his side OF the scales the public Will not
grleye. And unless there are points about this
Land Commissioner wherein he differs essentially
from other Land Commissioners, Mr.. Lamar's
sharp letter has pricEed the sparks bubble.
Jesse Pomeroy's latest attempt at escape shows
how careless prison onicia.s come 10 be. This in
human young criminal, who has shown in contine-
ment the beastlike instincts for mischief that
made him multI-murderer, has made four sepa-
rate well planned attempts 20 regain his liberty.
And yet so lax was the watch kept on him that
Pomeroy had opportunity to rearrange the plumb
ing Of his cell. substitute a paper elbow for the
iron one In the gaspipe, and, when the ripe time
came. cause an explosion that came neAr blowing
ont a wall that would have liberated him and
several other prisoners. He was found TO have a
cold chisel a small saw and small steel tool like
an awl with which he could dig out the mortar OF
his wall This Is an excellent equipment for a
desperate and ingenious criminal bent on freedom
or death. Besides the means OF getting tools
young Pomeroy has been allowed 10 study chem
istry and civil engineering for ten years II he
lives he may yet justify the humanitarians who
have him in charge and get away from them.